


Mistletoe

by Epoxide (MiyuWrites)



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Yule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27940580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiyuWrites/pseuds/Epoxide
Summary: The Company adopts one of Bilbo's traditions, Yule.But the surprises don't end there...
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40
Collections: Have A Happy Hobbit Holiday 2020





	Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [neleangela](https://archiveofourown.org/users/neleangela/gifts).



Bilbo woke up.

Another morning waking up in a room that still felt so foreign despite his dwarves’ best efforts – and him having been staying in there for almost half a year.

Too many things had changed in his life since that fateful night when his house had been taken over by a number of rowdy dwarves (and a scheming wizard). All of his adventures while being part of the Company had changed his life. He’d found a family among them, he had made new friends and discovered so many things about himself.

The horrific battle had been a true nightmare. It still had Bilbo waking up, some nights, in a cold sweat. The fact that Thorin and his nephews had escaped death by the skin of their teeth – it was a definite miracle! – was what comforted Bilbo and grounded him in reality. His conversation with Thorin afterwards had helped assuage his worries. Bilbo was welcomed to stay with the Company for a while longer, to help them rebuild the mountain, to help out with the negotiations and dealings with the elves and humans by acting as an intermediate that everyone listened to. Or even to – as Bofur had joked – use his green thumb to help growing some of the scary vegetables ‘round the mountain.

Thus, Bilbo had stayed.

He didn’t regret it one bit. There had been a lot to do so everyone worked together – and then Dís and more dwarves arrived which added to more work to be done – and before long, the first year past the Battle had rolled by.

That was also when Bilbo got reminded that he’d been living for so long under the dwarves’ calendar that he almost had lost track of the Shire calendar. At home there were some nice celebrations to be had too, less tainted by dark memories. That was when Bilbo had decided to share such celebrations with his friends. It was only fair that he also brought some of his own traditions, traditions from home, to the Company.

They all surely deserved a happy celebration after everything.

For that reason, Bilbo started telling stories about Yule to the younger dwarves. It didn’t take long for others to approach the small group and before long he was explaining the whole celebration, what happened and its significance, the joy that it brought. Everyone from the Company really enjoyed the idea. More, the undercurrent of excitement spread out and soon enough had filled the whole mountain.

But now, the day had come!

The Company was supposed to have a dinner together and spend the evening, to light the Yule log and celebrate together, exchange some presents and just enjoy each other’s company.

Still, there was a lot to be done before Bilbo could get to that point of the day.

Bilbo was very busy, as usual.

With that thought in mind, Bilbo threw back his bedcovers and hopped down onto the cold floor. He had a small fluffy rug that kept the worst of the cold away but the chilly after the warmth of the bed was always a shock.

He walked to the fireplace and threw some wood into it before quickly putting the kettle on.

It was time for some tea.

* * *

The day flew by quickly and Bilbo found himself running through the maze-like tunnels towards his – and the Company’s – wing. They were all in the same area, despite having some, understandable, separations in the rooms.

He was getting late!

“Oh dear!” Bilbo exclaimed as he collided with a very solid, very warm chest. He would have fallen down if strong hands hadn’t gasped onto his arms. There was some laughter and muffled words coming from above and then Bilbo looked up. Piercing blue eyes met his.

_Thorin_.

“Are you alright?” Thorin asked, his lips tilting up in a smile that was too quick to disappear.

“The lad’s fine, Thorin. You got him.” Balin’s voice came from behind the dwarf king. Taking a step back, Bilbo saw that Thorin was, as was to be expected, being followed by Balin and Dwalin – who seemed to be suppressing their amusement.

“I’m, yes, I’m fine. Thanks, Thorin.” The hobbit said, disentangling himself from Thorin’s grasp and still feeling the warmth of those hands in his skin. He was blushing bright red, the colour rising up to the tips of his ears.

“Where were you going in such a hurry?” Thorin asked politely.

“To my room. Still need to gather a few things before dinner.” Bilbo answered earnestly while glancing between the three dwarves.

“Maybe we should let master Bilbo go. And head to our next meeting too.” Balin said in an amused tone.

“Yes, we wouldn’t want to get late to the feast today,” Dwalin agreed and gave a small slap to Thorin’s shoulder, promptly making him take a step forward.

“Why, yes. See you all later.” Bilbo half squeaked before scurrying off.

He was feeling strangely warm after that small exchange.

* * *

Bilbo splashed cold water on his face to try to get rid of the redness that was still painting his cheeks. He looked into his reflection in the mirror.

_Thorin_.

Something was happening between him and Thorin. No words were said about anything, no attention was paid to it. But it seemed as if they were dancing around whatever it was – despite the knowledge that it was pretty much _there_ , in front of them.

To be fair, they had gotten much closer after Thorin’s near death and during the effort to rebuild the kingdom. Who knew that Bilbo’s experience in regards to dealing with less than cordial relations would be so helpful during the meetings between the dwarves, elves and humans? Because those meetings were a nightmarish mess that sometimes had Bilbo grinding his teeth at all of these people’s stubbornness – only the Sackville-Baggins could compare! – and Bilbo always left said meetings with a big headache.

It was interesting how Thorin had noticed and started taking a break from his duties so that he could sit with Bilbo and just have a conversation.

Those small breaks were good for the pair.

And that didn’t go unnoticed.

The downside to that was having some jokes directed his way, especially by the duo of mischievous siblings. Fíli and Kíli were starting to get tiresome with their jokes and innuendo about the moments between him and Thorin.

The worst part was that the _whole_ Company seemed to _agree_.

Bilbo didn’t understand it.

But… at the same time, he was fine with not wanting to think much about whatever they were thinking.

He would not stop enjoying himself while in Thorin’s company.

Strangely, in those moments, the pair were equals. Shedding away all titles and worries and the pressure of what was expected of each of them. In those moments they were just a dwarf and a hobbit, sharing stories and a spot of tea.

With those thoughts in mind, Bilbo got himself ready, fussing slightly about his appearance for the umpteenth time before glancing at the candle he had on the mantelpiece.

He’d gotten it when he had gone to the market with Bofur earlier the week. It was the right time to light it.

Bilbo lit the candle and stopped for a moment, seeing the glow make the golden etchings on the white wax sparkle for a moment.

Then he glanced at the clock and heard the mountain’s bell begin to chime.

_It won’t do to be late for dinner._

Bilbo gathered his gifts and hurried out the door.

Blast the dwarves for choosing their common dining room to be so far away.

* * *

The Company’s dining room was fully decorated and in such a way that reminded Bilbo of home. Sure, he had explained how things were done in the Shire – Ori had written everything down with an avid glint in his eyes – but the hobbit didn’t expect to enter the room and feel like he had just left Bag End to go dine at a cousin’s hobbit hole. The room was warm and filled with the scent of delicious food, a warm golden glow cast by the large log burning on the huge fireplace, the long table that was overflowing with food and drink was also a welcoming sight. And, unexpected on a mountain and with dwarves overall, there was a lot of greenery! Some centrepieces on the table and the walls were decorated by a mix of greenery and colourful fabrics, braided expertly. This was something Bilbo had really not believe he would be seeing, but his friends, his family, had done it all.

Most of the Company was there already, lounging around in the sitting area. All the gifts piled on a table in the corner. Drink was already flowing. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming.

Bilbo found himself talking to Dís as it seemed that she had taken a liking to him and considered him to be part of the family.

Only Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, Bombur and Ori were missing, by that point.

Bombur didn’t take long to get into the room, an extremely loaded tray of food in his hands and poor Ori followed, equally burdened. Something the cook dwarf had ordered, no doubt.

“Well,” Dís said after a while, standing up. She clapped her hands to have everyone’s attention on her, “it looks like my dear brother hasn’t decided yet if he wants to come so I see no harm in sitting down and get our meal started. Before it all gets too cold.”

Everyone followed Dís’ lead and sat at the table.

There was a card assigning the seat to everyone at the table. Funnily enough, Bilbo found himself to the right hand side of Thorin’s seat. He didn’t think much of it, despite the small smiles he caught by the corner of his eye.

Everyone’s attention was then diverted by the three late comers. They got to the dining room and quickly found and sat on their places.

Dís, who was sitting to Thorin’s left, cleared her throat and soon enough the whole room was silent and waiting. She raised her glass.

“We’re finally gathered here to celebrate being alive and together,” a shadow flickered on her expression before disappearing, “despite some people’s tardiness,” she glanced at her brother, “I do believe that we are very lucky to be here today.” She then turned to look straight at Bilbo. “We’re celebrating this festivity of Bilbo’s, hoping it will create a wonderful tradition among us. To you, Bilbo.” She raised her glass once more before taking a drink. The rest of the table followed suit. Bilbo sat there, blushing while taking a delicate sip from his own glass.

“With that, let’s dig in.” Thorin said.

The silence that followed lasted but a minute, as soon enough cutlery was scraping on plates, glasses were clinking, crossed conversations were being had, laughter resonated and plates started to fly this way and that while drink continued to flow.

Bilbo filled his own plate and was working through it with single-minded attention, all the while retaining the Baggins poise.

It was just like being home.

But warmer. Livelier.

The smile wouldn’t leave Bilbo’s lips.

The meal lasted for a long time and everyone’s spirits were soaring.

They had to take a break from eating before the desserts as everyone was commenting about their near-bursting fullness.

The whole group relocated to the sitting area. Bodies plotting this way and that, taking all the seats available with the exception of the loveseat by the fireplace. It was covered by a silky looking quilt and fluffy pillows. And looked welcoming enough to Bilbo. He sat there, rubbing at his full stomach and not thinking much of it. When he turned out to have a companion, Bilbo opened an eye, noticed it was Thorin and just kept groaning slightly while rubbing his belly.

That was when the giggles, half-choked laughs and mutters began.

The hobbit saw the stern look Thorin was throwing at everyone. But he didn’t understand the reason as to why the laughter was happening, even.

A giggly Kíli pointed somewhere above Bilbo’s head and upon looking up, he understood what all that fuss was about.

Mistletoe.

Hanging above his and Thorin’s heads.

Bilbo’s face paled slightly before turning a dark red – all that in the blink of an eye.

_Why did I have to tell them about that one tradition?_ He thought while attempting to stop himself from pinching the bridge of his nose.

To his side, Thorin wasn’t aware of the reason to the giggling but that didn’t keep him from glowering menacingly towards the youths.

“I would like to know the reason for all of this mirth.” Thorin said in his ‘I want an answer and I want it now’ voice, the words directed towards his nephews, no doubt.

“It’s the mistletoe, Thorin. Just that.” Dís answered cheerfully.

“What of it?”

“Don’t you know the meaning of it, uncle?” Fíli composed himself long enough to ask, even though his smile didn’t diminish one bit.

Bilbo hid his face in his hands.

“No.”

“According to what Bilbo told us,” Ori interjected in a very helpful yet unhelpful manner, “it is tradition that when two people are standing – or, as is, sitting – beneath a bunch of mistletoe, it is required that the two exchange a kiss.”

“Gee, thanks Ori…” Bilbo muttered with a sigh.

Strangely, his sigh was followed by another. Thorin was running a hand down his face, muttering a string of _khuzdul_ words.

“Mahal save me,” was all Bilbo managed to catch clearly, despite the low volume.

At long last, the pair turned to the other. There was no way around it, not with the undercurrent of excitement that was nearly palpable in the room.

Under the watchful gaze of the Company – and Dís – Bilbo and Thorin exchanged a quick peck on the lips, under the mistletoe.

“There, happy?” Thorin grumble as he stood and pulled Bilbo up. “Now, I need to talk with our burglar.” With that, the two left the festive dining room and Thorin led them to a small storage room that was filled with papers and dust.

“Those idiots. There was no need to force my hand…” Thorin was grumbling as they got inside.

Bilbo, having stayed too quiet for too long, finally asked.

“What are you talking about? What did plotting to have us be under some mistletoe have to do with anything?”

“Just this.” Thorin grumbled again, producing a small box from an inside pocket on his coat.

Bilbo blinked at it before taking a hold of the box and carefully prying it open.

A small silver, carved bead sat in the velvet interior.

“Is this for me?” Bilbo asked in astonishment while carefully holding the bead. He looked up at Thorin. “What does it mean?” he asked curiously while vividly recalling some previous conversations had with the Company in regards to such Dwarvish traditions.

“It means that I’m asking if I may court you. Make you my consort.”

“I… I don’t know what to say…” Bilbo was shocked.

“Just think about it, please?” Thorin asked earnestly.

“But… I want to.” The hobbit’s tone of voice was mildly questioning towards the end. “Yes, I do want to.” He affirmed.

“Seriously?” Thorin asked hopefully. The happiness in expression easing off the worries and making seem slightly younger. “May I braid the bead into your hair?”

“Please, do.” Bilbo flashed him a grin.

Thorin did quick work of it, the shortish hair of the hobbit didn’t take long to braid, after all.

“Done.” Thorin said, voice proud.

Bilbo held Thorin’s hands before himself. He looked at them, thinking hard for a moment, then he looked up at the other

“Thank you,” he said as he raised their joined hands, pushing them to the sides while he walked into Thorin’s space. “May I have another kiss now? Just the two of us?”

“Yes,” was the word breathed as Thorin leaned down. It made a shiver run down Bilbo’s spine.

They kissed. What had just been a brush of the lips before was now a deep and heated exploration of the other. And nearly got even more heated. Alas, they had to stop. They had to go back to the celebration. But there was promise for more, hanging between them.

Holding hands, they returned to the dining room.

Everyone’s reaction sure made the night memorable.

A plethora of possibilities opened before them, now.

A chance at true happiness.

Which they were going to get.

Together.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like this little piece. :)  
> I don't own anything.  
> Unbetaed.


End file.
